Teddy Bear Teddy Bear
by dramaqueen321
Summary: Emma remembers her meetings with the Doctor and how she had to leave something behind. Very fluffy.


Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear

Ever since I left Uni to go and study whales of the coast of Australia, I have only come back once a year at Christmas time to visit my family in England.

Things had been fairly normal the first few times: I arrived in London, jet-lagged and crabby, lugging the few belongings I had (my research schedule didn't allow for things like shopping and partying regularly) through the busy streets of London via taxi, tram or train.

Eventually I would arrive at my parents flat on Powell Estate, usually late; I may have perfect musical pitch but I have _no _sense of direction even though I have probably taken the route at least twenty times during my short life.

Then I am treated to updates on everyone's lives, and when I mean everyone I mean everyone – Mum has got to be the greatest networker in the history of the world. Anyway, I get presents, reunions with people I haven't seen for ages, Auntie Helen's amazing Christmas pudding and generally everything I missed out in Australia.

Especially rides on the double-decker buses that are everywhere in London and nowhere in Cairns.

But then, things started to get odd. It really all began when that blonde failure (okay, maybe that's a bit harsh) from three doors down, Rose Tyler, disappeared for a whole year. Quite a kerfuffle it caused according to Mum- signs up all over the place, Jackie Tyler in hysterics half the time and Mickey Smith, Rose's boyfriend (not to mention my one time crush – don't tell!) taken in for questioning five times, on whether he had murdered Rose or not.

Like I said before, I would probably have not known half of this if Mum hadn't been such a gossip and hadn't brought Jackie some income (Mum has a lot of bad hair days – unfortunately it seems to run in the family) during the long months of waiting for Rose to return.

And then Rose did, just three months after Christmas.

I can't really say I'm surprised; after all, I was sure Mickey hadn't murdered her.

Why would he anyway? Rose is a nice girl and she and Mickey had been going out for a while.

But you know, I did have a guilty little part of me which wanted Rose to be dead; then I could move in on Mickey!

I had been using up my months of leave, staying and socialising with my old pals, soaking up everything good and British. Then, one cool and blustery autumnal day, I had been sitting on the balcony, quietly sipping tea and minding my own business when suddenly I noticed a petite blonde girl hurrying towards Powell Estate, away from a man with rather large ears and a black leather jacket. I didn't realise it at the time, but that was my second glimpse of the alien known as the Doctor.

Second you might ask? Wouldn't it be the first? No actually. The first time I met the Doctor was when I was only four years old, down at Mica Park which is close to Powell Estate. Dad was with me and so was Teddy.

That was the day I lost Teddy.

We were just swinging happily on the swings, keeping to ourselves and having our own private conversation (I was doing most of the talking – Teddy was always the strong, silent type. Not easy when you're chubby, short and fluffy) when suddenly Dad pushed me hard and whoosh! Teddy flew out of my arms, sailing through the air like some ridiculous bird and landed with a plop in front of a pair of black boots.

They weren't particularly special boots – in fact they had fallen into a fairly bad state of disrepair. But they were black and dusty and Teddy was lying there in front of them. I demanded to be let off the swing and promptly marched over to the boots.

Only then did I realise that the boots were not by themselves. The boots were connected to a pair of black trousers which were connected to a large black leather jacket with lots pf pockets which were connected to a head with an extraordinary pair of ears.

By the time I got to the man's face, I had a crick in my neck so I looked down again. Teddy was still lying there, gazing impassively up at me. Suddenly the man crouched down and picked up Teddy. I trembled; the man was rather scary-looking to my four-year-old eyes and I was afraid that he might hurt Teddy.

But he simply handed him back to me and I cuddled Teddy close to me. When I finally peeped up from above Teddy's head, the strange scary-looking-but-evidently-nice man was still watching me.

"Why are you staring at me?" I asked with all the dignity I could muster. He grinned.

"Sorry. I must be acting very rudely." I nodded cheekily and then ducked behind Teddy.

"It's okay. I won't bite. My name is the Doctor by the way. Who are you?" said the Doctor. I looked at him quizzically.

"Doctor Who?"

"Oh no, no, it's just the Doctor."

"Oh. Okay then. I'm Emma and this is Teddy. Shake hands with the Doctor, Teddy." The Doctor gravely shook hands/paws with Teddy.

"It is very nice to meet you Teddy" he said solemnly. I giggled.

"What are you doing here?" I asked curiously.

"Oh nothing, just passing through" he said, obviously avoiding the question.

"Really?" I asked suspiciously.

"Really. What about you?" he replied. I didn't need further invitation as I promptly launched into a detailed description of everything Teddy and I had done today – even down to the details that weren't really necessary. I don't think I need to elaborate any further on that subject.

"Do you have a friend with you?" I asked a bit later, looking around for anyone who might be lurking behind a bush somewhere. The Doctor shook his head.

"Nope. It's just me." I didn't believe him at first. Loneliness was an unfamiliar concept to me at that age. But sharing wasn't.

"Here," I held out Teddy. "Keep him. You need him more than I do." At first the Doctor didn't think I was serious. But then he slowly reached out and took Teddy.

"Thank you" was the last thing he said to me before he stood and walked away, Teddy in his left hand. It was a strange sight, the tall, leather-clad man holding a fluffy teddy securely in one hand.

"Why did you give Teddy away, darling? You love Teddy!" asked Dad aghast when I told him what I had done.

"The lonely Doctor needed a friend. So, I gave him one" I replied simply, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Twenty-two years on I suddenly remembered that memory after seeing him again. I wanted to race down and say hello, see if he remembered the little girl who gave him her teddy-bear all those years ago. But I couldn't. I never got the chance.

Because right after that, an alien spaceship crashed into the Thames, destroying Big Ben in the process and the whole world was in uproar. Chaos followed and I was, to put it simply, panicking.

Well, if an alien spacecraft had suddenly plummeted into the Thames and interrupted your cruise, wouldn't you be feeling a little scared?

And I had no way to get to Australia to check on things at work. All planes had been grounded and there was no traffic going in or out anywhere. The world was in turmoil.

So weeks of waiting ensued, sitting at home eyes glued to the TV screen, constantly on the phone to my friends, workmates and at one point, even my pet cat Snuggles.

My Dad was not impressed when the phone bill arrived.

Of course, most of the other people living near me thought it was fantastic – the aliens have landed, time to party and welcome them to our world. Jackie Tyler actually invited me and my family over. Naturally we went; and I got the biggest shock of my life when I saw the Doctor, sitting on a chair and wrestling with Mrs O'Connell's son Harry for the TV remote. I would have gone over and talked to him right then and there if not for Little Miss Over-Protective. I don't know where Rose gets her attitude from, probably her mother but the minute I said the word "Doctor" myself and my family were bundled outside before you can say 'evicted'.

But the Doctor and I did meet once again – sort of. I had been walking along Downing Street, minding my own business and avoiding the press and police when suddenly the Sergeant came racing out, yelling at the top of his lungs for everyone to vamoose as quickly as possible. A missile was about to hit and promptly at 4pm, 10 Downing St blew up. It was quite spectacular, I have to admit but I kind of wasn't thinking of it that way at the time.

I spent the next week in hospital, being treated for minor burns and one broken rib. It wasn't all bad actually. I got to sleep peacefully without any distractions for the first time in a while (honestly, how thin are the walls in Powell Estate?) and I was as right as rain quite quickly.

But when I got home, lying on my bed was the best comfort I could want; it was a friend I hadn't seen in almost twenty-three years. A short note was attached to the frayed red ribbon around his neck:

_To Emma,_

_It's time you got him back_

_He has been fantastic_

_Thank you_

There was no signature. But I didn't need one. I knew who had returned Teddy to me.


End file.
